The Hindu 25.11.2010
Nandini Layout land denotified to favour land grabbers: MLA
Staff Reporter
No ground for denotification, says Narendra Babu
The land is worth around Rs. 4,000 per sq. ft
Bangalore: The Bangalore Development Authority (BDA) came in for some withering criticism from Mahalakshmi Layout MLA N.L. Narendra Babu who accused it of denotifying land to favour land sharks and real estate developers.
Speaking to presspersons here on Wednesday, he said that an acre of land in Nandini Layout, which included a road and a prime location, was denotified though the Law Department had recommended against such a move.
‘For whom?'
“This was done at the behest of a Minister. The layout was developed more than 15 years ago. For whose sake was the land denotified,” he asked.
The BDA had issued a preliminary notification in December 1977 to acquire 393 acres and 25 guntas of survey number 117 in Jarakabandekaval in the area.
The final notification was issued in September 1979, while the award was passed in June 1985.
Mr. Babu said one acre of land belonged to one person named Chinna.
The BDA deposited the compensation amount of Rs. 55,000 before the City Civil Court. After Chinna's death, his son, Yellappa, made a representation that the acquisition proceedings be dropped as the area was fully developed and still in his possession.
The Denotification Committee rejected the proposal in June 2003.
‘No school'
However, the proposal was resubmitted on the ground that the land should be denotifed as there was a school. In October 2009, the Chief Minister approved the dropping of the acquisition and sent the file to the Law Department.
“There is no school on that land. The Law Department directed the Urban Development Department to examine whether the actual possession of the land had been taken in accordance with the law. If not, the land should not be denotified, the department said.”
Denotified
Mr. Babu added that the original owners of the land were no more and someone called Hanumanthappa was claiming to be the owner of the land.
“Surprisingly, the land was denotified under Section 48 of the Land Acquisition Act on January 12, 2010, while the BDA issued an endorsement for the same on January 25, 2010,” he said.
Mr. Babu said it was as if the Chief Minister had signed the denotification order with his eyes closed.
Value of land
“The land is worth around Rs. 4,000 per sq. ft. We will go before the Denotification Committee and the Lokayukta and file a PIL petition in the High Court,” he said.
